January 20, 2014

Can I just tell you how happy I am to be healthy again!?Last week was the week from hell. I was so sick, throwing up for days and missed a bunch of work and my first week back to school. I never thought Gatorade and water could taste so good when I could finally keep it down.And now I'm finally back to eating foods!I slowly but surely crawled my way back into a bacon and sushi-filled life. It's good because I was missing the old me! And just in time for The Secret Recipe Club and to make and enjoy this delicious dip from Rachel at The Avid Appetite. She's the cutest! I really enjoyed reading her blog and getting to know her better... sounds like we both share a love of food, our men, and trying new restaurants! I bet we'd be good friends.Plus the girl knows how to cook a mean dip. That's the kinda friend you definitely want by your side.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over
medium heat. Saute onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the
garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Mix in the spinach & artichokes and
heat through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, add milk to the saucepan and warm over low heat, being careful not to
boil the milk. Whisk in the softened cream cheese. Mix the spinach mixture back into the
milk mixture. Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, hot sauce, salt and
pepper. Mix well and pour into a baking dish lightly greased with
cooking spray. Top with remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and
bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.Printable Recipe

This is the perfect dip for the big game coming up! Who are you guys rooting for? I love me some Peyton Manning :)

January 11, 2014

Remember those glorious Crockpot Carnitas I told you about the other day?And I was all proud that I thought of using the leftovers to make a grilled cheese? (It's the little things that make me feel accomplished, people)!Well, here it is.Leftover carnitas + sliced avocado make for the perfect grilled cheese.Use however much carnitas per sandwich that you desire. I suggest not overdoing it on the meat on each sandwich... you wanna be able to taste all that ooey gooey oozing cheese! It is a grilled cheese, after all. I used 2 slices of pepper jack cheese per sandwich like I usually would for my grilled cheeses, but I think I put just a bit too much carnitas on it because I wanted more cheese!!!And use whatever kind of Mexican cheese you like. Monterey jack, pepper jack, or even get fancy with some Manchego. Whatever you do, don't skimp on the cheese!

Dip one side of each slice of bread in melted butter. To make two sandwiches at once, place 2 slices, butter-side down in a preheated large skillet. Top with cheese slice(s), carnitas, avocado slices, cheese slice(s), then a slice of bread with butter side up. Flip both to brown on other side.

I'm gonna make these again and again. Not only because I need a better photo with oozy melted cheese, but because I LOVE LOVE LOVE these carnitas and the possibilities with them! I can't wait to get creative with more ideas.

Flavorful, tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork goodness with that perfect balance of crispiness, paired with tons of cheese and creamy avocado on a comforting grilled cheese sandwich. Done done and done.

January 8, 2014

I got a giant 6-quart slow cooker for Christmas from my mama-in-law and have been determined to use it! First on the list.... crockpot carnitas.Cooked all day in a blend of seasonings and lime juice, orange juice, and beer. There's all kinds of flavor bursting from this oh-so-tender pork. You best believe it.At first, I didn't leave it under the broiler long enough, and it didn't really get crispy and just tasted like delicious pulled pork. I kept wondering, "what makes this carnitas and not pulled pork?!" Hello, google. I googled carnitas and found out that it's actually supposed to be the perfect balance of tender and crispy pork... tender because it's slow cooked for hours in the crockpot, and crispy because of a little *broilage. #myownDesilanguage.So yeah, broil that pork! Seriously, it's amazing. To be so perfectly tender yet have that perfect amount of crisp... it's like magic.

Place the pork shoulder in the crockpot. Rub minced garlic into the meat. Season meat with all seasonings and rub into the pork on all sides.

Add hot sauce, lime juice, orange juice, beer, and salsa to the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for less but check the temperature after 4-5 hours. It should be at an internal temp of 155-160 degrees.

Shred meat with two forks directly in the crockpot. It should fall apart easily and be tender.

Preheat broiler. Place the shredded meat on a baking sheet and pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over top. Broil for 5-10 minutes, until the edges of the pork are browned a bit and a little crispy. Keep an eye on the broiler though and don't stray too far!

If you want, you can serve it on tortillas with fresh cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime juice like we did :) Or just eat it straight up. It's that good.Oooh, oooh! And you can use leftover carnitas in so many things! Just google 'leftover carnitas recipes' and you'll find some good ideas. My idea though? How about a carnitas grilled cheese? :) It'll be on the blog here soon. I'm the least creative person eva eva, so I was kinda proud when I thought of that idea and didn't see it already invented and showing up all over the world wide web. Not that I really invented it... it's just a grilled cheese with some carnitas thrown on top + a little something extra. No biggie, really. Except it is.

Prepare your bellies. I warned you.

*broilage: (noun) the act of crisping food in a broiler. Linking up here.Peace, and bacon grease!

January 7, 2014

It's a new year, folks. And with a new year, comes new wishes for this blog. I really really really hope to blog more often this year and share more recipes. That's my main blog goal. More recipes. More posts. More often. I think I can handle that. After all, it is how I love spending the little bit of leisure time I have. So here's to more recipes and posts this year! Hold me to that, k?Time for some of my current obsessions and confessions. You ready?Yeah, Christmas is over. But you can't tell me you don't still want this gorgeous Christmas Trifle with Layered Jelly. Don't even try to tell me that.

First new years resolution: learn to make macarons. Second new years resolution: for next new year's eve, make these glorious New Year's Eve Macarons! I've never tasted a single macaron and I am obsessed, is that crazy?

Ok now that you're crying, how about some hilariousness?I need these adorable Scallop-Tied Booties in my life like yesterday. At a lower price.Let's just forget that the Bengals even played this Sunday. Or this season. Trying to forget.... still trying... damn it I can't forget. CAN WE PLEASE JUST WIN ONE FREAKING PLAYOFF GAME?!?!??!?!?!!?!? Ok all done. If you've been a Bengals fan for any amount of time, you feel my pain. The Bachelor started this week!!!! JUAN PABLO!! That tribute to my girl Gia was pretty sad though. I started a new tumblr account! It's mainly fashion-based and all things I find pretty and inspirational. Come check me out :) Any ideas on a cool tumblr name that's not already taken? It's almost impossible to find a cool name that's not already taken.

What are your guys' new years resolutions? I don't really have any when it comes to losing weight and blah blah blah, I've tried that too many times. My main goals for the year are things like improving my home and goals for the blog. And more budgeting sounds good. Are you pro- or anti-resolutions?

January 5, 2014

Here's a look back at 2013 through my instagram. I love the song for the video too and think it fits well. My life can be pretty boring, but looking back through these pictures reminds me of the people I love, the hobby I love doing (cooking!), and the accomplishments I've achieved this year.

And I couldn't be happier.

And here's the link since this video is so small. (Does anyone know how to make this video bigger without losing quality?)

January 3, 2014

2013 was a good year, wasn't it? This past year marked 13 years with the love of my life. I made more progress towards earning my Masters degree and started counseling real actual clients!I rekindled friendships with long lost childhood friends and made some new friends. I was asked to attend a few foodie blogger events.I discovered my obsession with instagram and posted more on my Facebook page.My food photography improved a bit and I FINALLY got accepted on Foodgawker!Only bad thing? I haven't been blogging as much! And it's hurting my soul! Despite my lack of posting, I still have got to bring you SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl's Best of 2013!!! These are my personal faves, not necessarily the most popular, because I don't understand my stats page lol. Ready, set, go!Avocado Bacon and Eggs